The Basics of Testing: December Edition

For my awesome December ladies! I thought this needed a repost before the crazy testing begins!

Many of you are wondering when is the right time to test. Many of you have posted the same questions with slightly different variations. In an attempt to cut down on the bazillion threads asking the same thing, here are the basics of testing.

"What's the best test to use?"

If you wait until your missed period, just about any test will work. Early testing requires a higher sensitivity. First Response Early Result is the BBC preferred test.

"When is the best time to test?"

The best time to test is after your missed period. If you test before then, you are more likely to see a negative or catch a chemical pregnancy.

"But that's soooo far away!"

Yes. It is. Two weeks will not kill you though.

"But there are sooo many people getting BFPs soooo early. And we have that handy-dandy tweaker thread!"

Yes there are. That does not mean you have to test. Chemical pregnancies are very common. With the invention of super sensitive HPTs, the amount of chemical pregnancies caught by early testing has gone up. Wouldn't you rather never know you were pregnant than catch it and then watch it slip away?

"But when can I test?"

Okay, okay it's your funeral. The earliest you can test and even hope to see something is 10DPO. Testing before then is just asking for a BFN. Some people can see something before then but the majority see a line after then.

See? All your testing questions answered in one convenient place. The end.